Look To The Stars News: Timbaland

Iconic Stars Reveal Inspirations For Charity Calendar

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:30:00 -0000

British charity CLIC Sargent is to benefit from sales of a new calendar featuring the inspiration selections of Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, Bono and other icons for the music world.

Music and entertainment specialist HMV is to mark the third anniversary of its acclaimed my inspiration campaign by featuring memorable highlights in a charity calendar for 2009/2010.

These include the my inspiration selections of Bob Dylan – who selected Scottish poet, Robert Burns; Bono and Paul McCartney, who, in turn, cite Bob Dylan as theirs; Paul Weller, who was first inspired by the songwriting of Lennon and McCartney; Bruce Springsteen, who was influenced by Blues performer Woodie Guthrie; and Deborah Harry, who found inspiration in the songs of Leonard Cohen.

My inspiration invites iconic and exciting new artists to share with their fans the song lyric or lines of verse that have inspired them in their life and in their work. The campaign began in September 2006, when David Bowie selected Syd Barrett’s Gigolo Aunt as his personal inspiration. Since that time well over 150 artists have taken part, ranging from Timbaland to the first lady of France, Carla Bruni, as well as new artists such as Lady Gaga and La Roux.

A key part of the calendar are the iconic black & white portraits of the participating artists taken by photographers who are themselves celebrated, such as Anton Corbijn, Fiona Freund, Dean Chalkley, Lawrence Watson, Adrian Boot and Frank Ockenfels 3 – making it a must not just for music fans and collectors, but for anyone with an appreciation of rock photography.

The A3-sized calendar comes with a foreword from Q Editor-in-Chief Paul Rees, and offers the added bonus of a full eighteen months worth of artist inspiration selections, starting from August 2009 with The Edge’s selection, covering all of 2010 and then ending in January 2011 with Metallica’s choice of their inspiration.

Click here to order.

Katy Perry And Friends Design T-Shirts For AIDS

Fri, 08 May 2009 15:00:00 -0000

Singer Katy Perry has joined with Cyndi Lauper, Yoko Ono and hip hop group N.E.R.D. to design T-shirts as part of H&M’s second Fashion Against AIDS collection.

H&M, a chain of 1,500 stores spread across 28 countries, has joined together with Designers Against AIDS to launch Fashion Against AIDS, a clothing collection for men and women, designed to draw attention to HIV/AIDS and increase awareness of the disease. Last year’s campaign featured Timbaland, Good Charlotte, Rihanna, and Ziggy Marley who created a special selection of T-shirts, tank tops, and hooded sweatshirts that use color and style to highlight the cause.

For the 2009 Fashion Against AIDS collection, the message is loud and clear with bold language and vibrant colors. Roisin Murphy’s t-shirt is bold with the phrase “Protection is power” on the front and back of a men’s t-shirt and a women’s bodysuit. N.E.R.D uses a clever graphic to shout “use your brain” on vibrant tank tops and t-shirts for both men and women. Estelle designed a tank top with the slogan “LIFE IS TOO SHORT – HAVE SEX BE SAFE” next to a sassy silhouette of an empowered woman. Katy Perry’s clever safe sex message, “WHAT’S ON THE OUTSIDE IS WHAT COUNTS,” appears on both a bodysuit and a cap-sleeved shirt. In a nostalgic nod to her roots, “GIRLS JUST WANNA HAVE SAFE SEX” is scribbled in pink lipstick on Cyndi Lauper’s t-shirt. Others include Yoko Ono’s design of the words “IMAGINE PEACE” in multiple languages and Robyn’s feisty “PROTECT YOUR BODY.”

Dita von Teese, an avid supporter of AIDS causes, created an alluring image of her iconic red lips and arched brow on a cute cap-sleeved T: “It is really great that H&M continues to educate its customers and the world about HIV/AIDS with their campaign Fashion Against AIDS. We must never give up the fight against this horrible disease and we must constantly remind each other not to become apathetic or careless. The war on HIV/AIDS must continue.”

25% of the sales price will be donated to HIV/AIDS prevention projects of Designers against AIDS, UNFPA, MTV’s Staying Alive Foundation and YouthAIDS.

This year’s T-shirt designs will hit stores on May 28.

Rihanna To Host Star-Studded Jingle Ball

Thu, 11 Dec 2008 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Stand Up To Cancer is holding a special Christmas concert hosted by Rihanna in New York this weekend – the Z100 Jingle Ball.

Friday, December 12, will see acts such as Leona Lewis, Kanye West, Katy Perry, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Brandy, David Archuleta, Jesse McCartney, Paramore and Lady Gaga perform at Madison Square Garden, with proceeds going to raise awareness and funds for cancer research.

The annual Z100 Jingle Ball has been held every year since 2003, with artists such as the Jonas Brothers, Jordin Sparks, Avril Lavigne, Alicia Keys, Timbaland, the Pussycat Dolls and many others performing.

More information about the show, and the chance to win tickets, visit the Z100 Jingle Ball website.

Join Timbaland For The Gentlemen's Ball

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:30:00 -0000

Join GQ and The Gentlemen’s Fund on October 15 for an exclusive fundraising event – The Gentlemen’s Ball – to celebrate and support all five 2008 Gentlemen’s Fund partner charities — MENC: The National Association for Music Education, The Mark Wahlberg Youth Foundation, The Alliance For Climate Protection, Hope North, and the Steve Nash Foundation.

The Gentlemen’s Fund was established to provide support and awareness for five cornerstones essential to men: opportunity, health, education, environment, and mentorship. A celebrity ambassador has been selected for each cornerstone, including Mark Wahlberg for opportunity, Steve Nash for health, Forest Whitaker for mentorship, Usher for the environment, and Timbaland for education.

The Gentlemen’s Ball will include cocktails and dinner, and a special performance from Timbaland. One ticket is $2,500 and admits 2 guests, and includes cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, full open bar, seated three-course dinner, live music performance, and chauffeured roundtrip car service to and from the Edison Ballroom (from one designated address within the New York Metro area only).

More information can be found at the Gentlemen’s Fund website.

Madonna And Friends Shine A Light On Malawi

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 11:23:58 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

If you were to look on a map, you could be excused for missing Malawi completely. Bordered by Tanzania, Zambia, and Mozambique in South East Africa, the nation of Malawi is shaped like a lightning bolt, with much of its land area covered by a massive lake. But it a country that is in dire need of help, and a host of celebrities turned out to a dazzling evening of fun on Wednesday, February 6, to raise awareness for what is one of the poorest countries in the world.

The gala event was hosted by Madonna on the lawns of the United Nations Headquarters in New York, with the $3.7 million raised going to UNICEF and her own Raising Malawi organization. A long list of stars, including Gwyneth Paltrow, Demi Moore, Ashton Kutcher, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Lopez, Tea Leoni, Lucy Liu, Billy Joel, Gwen Stefani, and Djimon Hounsou, attended the event, with tickets ranging from $2,500 to $10,000. The evening also featured performances by Alicia Keys, Timbaland, and Rihanna.

“I want to put Raising Malawi on the map,” said Madonna. “I want credibility as a philanthropic organisation. I want to inspire people. I don’t want them to just write me a cheque: I want them to give me a piece of their heart.”

Comedian Chris Rock hosted an auction during the evening, which featured some exciting items donated by celebrity guests. Priceless, once-in-a-lifetime opportunities were up for grabs, such as a dance class with Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow (which sold for $600,000), and a trip to Château Latour – including lunch with Salma Hayek – which was sold to Donald Trump for $120,000.

Tom Cruise, who attended the event with wife Katie Holmes, narrowly missed out on buying a sports package that included baseball practice with Yankee Alex Rodriguez and soccer practice with David Beckham.

“It was an extraordinary evening,” said Cruise. “The whole evening was quite moving. [Saving Malawi] is an absolute necessity.”

Saving Malawi was co-founded by Madonna in 2006, after she witnessed the plight of the country firsthand. And it is a plight she hopes to make more people aware of.

Recent UNICEF figures state that almost 1 million people in Malawi (whose total population is 13 million) suffer from HIV/AIDS, including 83,000 children. 267 people are infected with the virus every day, and half of the country’s 1 million orphans have lost their parents to the disease.

It is a country where 48% of children are severely malnourished, and many are subjected to the horrors of exploitation. The infant and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world, and 133 children out of 1000 die before they reach the age of five. They suffer from lack of food, shelter, clothing, education, clean water and sanitation, as well as basic medical services, and the average life expectancy is only 37 years.

Raising Malawi hopes to ease the suffering of the children of Malawi by providing smart solutions to the most challenging problems. Instead of just throwing money at the nightmare, they provide grassroots initiatives in the way of healthcare, education, and agriculture at a community level. To do this, they have partnered with some of the best organizations that work in the country, including the Millennium Promise Alliance, the Network of Organizations for Vulnerable and Orphan Children, and Spirituality for Kids.

One of Raising Malawi’s greatest initiatives is the Orphan Care Center recently built in the village of Mphandula. Designed to serve 4000 children, it provides a safe haven for orphans, and supplies nutritious meals, basic education, and crucial life skills. Along with programs to introduce solar power, clean water systems, and self-sustenance, Madonna hopes the Orphan Care Center will help Malawi overcome its problems.

“I’ve earned a reputation for many things,” said Madonna during Wednesday’s gala evening. "For pushing the envelope, for being a provocateur, for never taking no for an answer, for endlessly reinventing myself, for being a cult member, a kidnapper, for being ambitious, outrageous, and irreverent. And for never settling for second best. I don’t just want you to write me a check. I’m more interested in your heart. I want to take you on that journey with me tonight. I want you to feel as inspired as I do right now.

“Yes, I want to raise Malawi. But if I can do that – if we can do that – then the sky’s the limit.”

Stars Support Fashion Against AIDS

Tue, 08 Jan 2008 09:14:07 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

A major worldwide fashion store and a charity set up by artists and fashion designers have initiated a campaign to help raise money and awareness for HIV/AIDS projects.

H&M, a chain of 1,500 stores spread across 28 countries, has joined together with Designers Against AIDS to launch Fashion Against AIDS, a clothing collection for men and women, designed to draw attention to HIV/AIDS and increase awareness of the disease. Musicians, designers and artists such as Timbaland, Good Charlotte, Jade Jagger, and Ziggy Marley have collaborated to create a special selection of T-shirts, tank tops, and hooded sweatshirts that use color and style to highlight the cause.

“Supporting the Fashion Against AIDS campaign was a great way to encourage my fans to join me in the fight against HIV/AIDS,” said singer Rihanna, who is also taking part in the initiative. “I love that H&M is providing a fashionable and easy way for young people all over the world to get involved in this worthy cause.”

All of the items in the collection – expected to hit shelves in February – will cost between $15 and $40, and 25% of the proceeds will go to HIV/AIDS prevention projects around the world, including those administered by YouthAIDS. Each article is made from 100% organic cotton, and carries the label “This might be the most important piece of clothing you’ve ever laid your hands on”.

“It’s a collection that’s rich in color, with considerable commitment going into every garment,” said Margareta van den Bosch, H&M Head of Design. “The artists have created personal prints with a strong sense of style.”

HIV/AIDS has reached epidemic levels in many parts of the world, and both the artists and H&M hope the Fashion Against AIDS campaign will highlight the fact that no one is safe from the disease, and the message will inspire young people to be safe.

“Fifty per cent of the people newly infected with HIV are aged between 15 and 24,” said Ninette Murk, founder of Designers Against AIDS. “There’s an urgent need to do something in this target group. By combining fashion with music in this way we hope to get these young people to ‘stop and think’, as [fashion designer] Katharine Hamnett puts it on one of the garments in the collection.”

Other artists and designers to take part in the initiative include Rufus Wainwright, The Cardigans, My Chemical Romance, Tiga, and Henrik Vibskov. More information can be found at www.hm.com.

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